St. Patricks's Cathedral, New York City

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of New York and the seat of its Archbishop. Built by contributions large and small, it remains emblematic of the ascendance of religious freedom in the New World.It is a beacon of hope for those who share the Catholic faith and a source of inspiration to the more than five million visitors of every religious denomination.

The Cathedral has been a wellspring of hope and solace in times of peace and plenty and war. St. Patrick’s Cathedral anchors to basic human virtues such as charity, love, decency, strength and justice. No single generation builds a cathedral. The vibrancy of its windows, the beauty of its music and the purpose of its charitable outreach calls to shared humanity – one in the image and likeness of God, saved by his Son, Jesus Christ, in the family of the Church.

The story of New York’s great cathedral mirrors the story of the city itself. Created to affirm the ascendance of religious freedom and tolerance, St. Patrick’s Cathedral was built in the democratic spirit, paid for not only by the contributions of thousands of poor immigrants but also by the largesse of 103 prominent citizens who pledged $1,000 each. It was estimated that building the cathedral would take eight years when work began in 1858, the project took much longer because of its interruption by the Civil War.

In 1945 the exterior of the cathedral was renovated extensively at a cost of more than $3 million. Later improvements included the great rose window, bronze doors on the 5th Avenue side of the cathedral, and an elevator to the choir loft. The cathedral was visited by Popes Paul VI (1964) and John Paul II (1979).

St. Patrick's Gothic exterior is four hundred feet (120 meters) long and 174 (fifty-three meters) wide and seats about 2,400.